JUVEN SABAY

TASK #2: HISTORY OF SPED

SNED
HISTORY OF SPECIAL EDUCATION IN THE PHILIPPINES (FROM 1907 TO
THE PRESENT)
YEAR DESCRIPTION
1907 Delia Delight Rice sailed from the United States to Manila on May 2007. Shortly
after her arrival, she found out the she has no students. But instead of leaving, she
looked for students in the provinces and found Paula Felizardo first. More students
enrolled in the School for the Deaf and the Blind (SDB) after she successfully taught
Paula in a few months.
1917 The Home for the Orphaned and Destitute Children was built. It was later called
Unit A and became one of the eight Welfareville Institutions under Act 3203, the
“first socialized law the Philippines ever had under the American regime.”
1925 Welfareville, also known as the “Children’s Village,” was established in a forty-
hectare lot in Mandaluyong
1926
The Philippine association for the Deaf is composed mostly of hearing impaired
members and special education was founded. 

1927 The Welfareville Children’s Village, a school for people with intellectual disability
was    established by the Government in Mandaluyong.

1936 Mrs. Maria Villa Fancisco was the first Filipino who was appointed as the Principal
of School for the Deaf and Blind (SDB)

1945  The school for Crippled Children (NOHSCC) was established by the National
Orthopedic Hospital. The school was built for young patients who had to be
hospitalized for long periods of time

1949  Quezon City Science High School for the Crippled Children and Youth is
established.
 The Philippine Foundation for the Rehabilitation of the Disabled (PFRD) was
organized.

1950 A school for children with hearing impairment was opened by the Philippine
Association for the Deaf (PAD)
1953 The Elshie Gaches Village in Alabang, Muntinlupa, Rizal was established to take
care of abandoned and orphaned children and youth with physical and mental
handicaps.
1954 The first week of August was declared as Sight Saving Week.
1955  The government’s program for disabled Filipinos was supported by the private
sector.
 Elks Cerebral palsy project Incorporated was organized by the members of
 Lodge No. 761 of the Benevolent and Protective Order.
1956 The first Summer Institute on teaching the deaf was held at the school for the deaf
and the blind in Pasay city.
1957 The bureau of public schools (BPS) of the Department of Education and Culture
(DEC) created the special education section of the special subjects and services
division.
1958 The American foundation of overseas blind opened its regional office in Manila
1959  Special Child Study Center began to systematically train. They began with
two-month summer workshops which culminated their co-sponsorship of the
First Institute in Education and Training of the Mentally Retarded. The other
co-sponsors were the Bureau of Public Schools and Philippine Mental
Health.
 Bureau of Public Schools issued a memorandum that called for the
development of classes for educable students with mental retardation.
 Thirty-two first-year high school students were selected from several schools
using competitive tests and were put together in one class. They became the
first batch of the Manila Science High School in 1963.
1960 Some private colleges and universities started to offer special education courses in
their graduate school curriculum.
1962 The First National Seminar in Special Education was held in the historic
School for the Deaf and the Blind from November 29 to December 5.
1964 the Quezon city schools division followed suit with the establishment of the Quezon
city science high school for the gifted students
1965 mark the start of training program for school administrators on the organization,
administration, and supervision of special education classes
1967 BPS organized the National Committee on Special Education
1968 The teacher training program for teachers of exceptional children was held at the
Philippine Normal College for the next 10 years
1969 Glasses for socially maladjusted children were organized at the manila youth
reception center
1970  the training of teachers for children with behavior problems started at the
university of the Philippines
 the first Asian conference on work for the blind was held in Manila
1971 DEC issued memorandum on duties of the special education
1973 the juvenile and domestic relations court of manila established the tahanan special
school for socially maladjusted children and youth
 More opportunities for PWDs
1974 the first national conference on the rehabilitation of the disabled was held at the
social security building in Quezon city.
1975  When the DSC reorganized into the ministry of education culture
 The special subjects and services division was abolished
1976  Proclamation 1605 declared 1977 to 1987 as the decade of the Filipino Child
 The special Subjects and Services Division was abolished
1977 MEC Issued Department order N.10 that designed regional and division supervisors
of special education programs
1978 Marked the creation of the National Commission Concerned Disabled Persons
(NCCDP) later renamed National Council for the Welfare of Disabled persons or
NCWDP through Presidential Decree 1509
1979 The bureau of Elementary Education Special Education Unit conducted a two-year
nationwide survey of unidentified exceptional children who were in school
1980  The School for Crippled Children at Southern Island hospital in Cebu city was
organized.

 United Nations Assembly proclaimed the observance of the international year of

disabled persons
1982 Three special schools were opened:
 Cebu City State College Special High school for Deaf 
 Siaton Special Education Center in Division of Negros Oriental
 Saint John Maria De Vianney Special Education Learning Center in Quezon
City
1983  Batas pambansa 344 enacted the accessibility law

 Batac Special Education Center in the Division of Ilocos Norte was organized.
1984 Two special education programs were inaugurated: the Labangon special education
Center Division of Cebu City and the Northern Luzon association's Heinz Wolke
School for the Blind at Baguio City.
1990 Establishment of the Philippine Institute for the Deaf (PID) an oral school for the
children with hearing impairment.
1992 The summer training for teachers of the visually impaired started at the Philippine
Normal University.
1993 DEC issued order No. 14 that directed regional offices to organize the Regional
Special Education Council.
1996  The third week of January was declared as autism consciousness week
 The first National Congress on Visual Impairment was held in Quezon City
1998  DEC Order No. 5 “Reclassification of Regular Teacher and Principal items to
Special Education Teacher and Special School Principal Item was issued.”
 Centers for Excellence (CENTEX) schools for poor but bright children opened
in Manila.
 “Teaching Filipino Children with Autism,” the first reference book on autism in
the Philippines, was published.
1999 DEC order No. 33 “ implementation of administrative order No. 101 directing the
Department of Public Works and Highways, the DEC and the CHED To provide
architectural facilities or structural feature for disabled persons in all the state
college, universities and other buildings.”
2000 DEC order No. 11, s. 2000- Recognized Special Education (SPED) Centers in the
Philippines.
2002 An ongoing mobile teacher training program by the Department of Education and
the University of the Philippines trains regular and special education teachers on
how to educate children with special needs.
2007  UP-SPED publishes “Anno B?” an annotated bibliographies in Special
 Education.
 Year-long centennial celebration of special education in the Philippines.
2009 DEPED Under its wing had 217 SPED Centers that cater to the needs of children
with special abilities. The department issued Braille textbooks to help especially
visually impaired children.
2010 Special education of 2010 is an act establishing at least one special education center
for each school division and at least three special education centers in big school
divisions for children with special needs guidelines for government financial
assistance and other incentives and support.
2012 DEPED has increased the funding for its special education program and is set to
open new centers.
2013 DEPED organized in national conference for SPED teachers to sharpen their skills
2021
2022 President Rodrigo Duterte has signed a law which guarantees free early and basic
education to learners with special needs. (RA 11650) Instituting a Policy of
Inclusion and Services for Learners with Disabilities in Support of Inclusive.

LEGAL BASES OF SPECIAL EDUCATION IN THE PHILIPPINES

The Education in the Philippines is anchored in on the following fundamental legal documents:

Articles 356 and 259 of Commonwealth Act. No 3203

·   The right of every child to live in an atmosphere conducive to his physical, moral and
intellectual and intellectual development” and the concomitant duty of the government “to
promote the full growth of the faculties of every child.”

Republic act No. 3562: “An Act to Promote the Education of the Blind in the Philippines”

·         Provided for the formal training of the special education Teachers of Blind Children at
the Philippine Normal College the rehabilitation of the Philippine national school for the blind
(PNSB) and the establishment of the Philippine Printing House of the Blind.

Republic Act No. 5250: “An Act Establishing a Ten-year Teacher Training Program for
Teachers of Special and Exceptional Children”

   provided for the formal training of teachers for deaf hard-of-hearing speech
handicapped, socially and emotionally disturbed, mentally retarded and mentally gifted and
youth at the Philippine Normal College and the University of the Philippines

Section 8, Article XV of the 1973 Constitution of the Philippines

  “A complete, adequate and integrated system of education relevant to the goals of
national development”

Articles 3 and 74 of the Presidential Decree No. 603 of 1975

 “The emotionally disturbed or socially maladjusted child shall be treated with sympathy
and understanding and shall be given the education and care required by his particular
condition.”

“Thus, where needs warrant, there shall be at least special classes in every province and if
possible special schools for the physical handicap the mentally retarded the emotionally
disturbed and the mentally gifted. The private sectors shall be given all the necessary inducement
and encouragement.” 

Presidential Decree No. 1509 of the 1978

 Created the National Commission Concerning Disabled Persons (NCCDP)

Educational Act of 1982 or Batas Pambansa Bilang 232

   “the state shall promote the right of every individual to relevant quality education
regardless of sex, age, breed, socio-economic status, physical and mental, condition social and
ethnic origin, political and other affiliations. The state shall therefore promote and maintain
equality of access to education as well as enjoyment of the benefits of education by all its
citizens.”

Section 24 of BP 232 “Special Education Services”

“The state further recognizes its responsibility to provide within the context of the formal
education system services to meet special needs of certain clientele.  These specific types shall
be guided by the basic policies of the state embodied on general provisions of this act which
include the education of persons who are physically, mentally, emotionally, so, culturally
different from the so-called normal individual that they require modification of school practices
or services to develop to their maximum capacity.”

Batas Pambansa Bilang 334: “An Act to Enhance the Mobility of Disabled Persons”

Required cars, building, institutions, establishments and public utilities to install facilities
and other devices for persons with disabilities 

Article XIV, Section 1 and 2 of the 1987 Constitution of the Philippines

   “the state shall protect and promote the right of all citizens to quality education at all
levels and shall take appropriate steps to make such education accessible to all.”

“the state shall provide adult citizens, the disabled and out-of-school youth with training
in civics, vocational efficiency and other skills.”
Republic Act No. 7277: Magna Carta for Persons with Disabilities

 An act providing for the rehabilitation, self-development and self-reliance of disabled
persons and their integration into the mainstream of society and for other purposes. 

Republic Act No. 9442

An Act Amending Republic Act NO. 7277, otherwise known as the Magna Carta for
Persons with Disability as amendment and for other purposes granting additional privileges and
incentives and prohibitions on verbal nonverbal ridicule and vilification against persons with
disability.

LEGAL BASES OF SPECIAL AND INCLUSIVE EDUCATION IN THE UNITED

STATES OF AMERICA

Education for all handicapped Children Act

Public Law 94-142, often known as the Education for All Handicapped Children Act
(EHA), was first passed in 1975 and mandates that all public schools taking federal funds must
grant children with physical and/or mental disabilities equal access to education. The foundation
for special education as we know it today was laid by this. In the United States, only a few local
districts offered special education services prior to 1975. State compliance is now required in
order for special education to receive federal money.
The EHA mandated that public schools evaluate kids with disabilities, develop
personalized educational plans that closely resemble the educational experiences of non-disabled
students while also accommodating their special needs, and grant equal access to students with
special needs. Essentially, the EHA was implemented to achieve four main objectives:

 To ensure that special education services are available to children who need them
 To guarantee that decisions about services to students with disabilities are fair and
appropriate
 To establish specific management and auditing requirements for special education
 To provide federal funds to help states educate students with disabilities

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act

What was known as the EHA eventually became the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
(IDEA) in 1990. The following six pillars are what IDEA ensures:
 Each student who is determined to be eligible for special education services must have an
Individualized Education Program (IEP), which must be developed by public schools.
 IEPs must be created to accommodate each child's particular educational needs in the
setting that is least restrictively necessary.
 IDEA makes sure that all students have the chance to learn in the Least Restrictive
Environment (LRE), a welcoming classroom setting where a special needs student can
succeed academically to the greatest extent possible.
 Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) is an educational right that ensures education
and related services are designed to meet handicapped persons’ individual needs as
adequately as the needs of non-handicapped persons.
 IDEA includes a set of procedural safeguards designed to protect the rights of children
with disabilities and their families, and to ensure that all special-needs students receive a
FAPE. The safeguards include the opportunity for parents to review their child’s full
educational records, the right of parents to request an independent educational evaluation
and more.
 IDEA ensures the use of appropriate evaluation processes. This minimizes the number of
misidentifications, provides a variety of assessment tools and strategies, prohibits the use
of any single evaluation as the sole criterion and provides protections against evaluation
measures that are racially or culturally discriminatory.
 Cross collaboration is key for a student to receive the education necessary for success.
IDEA enables parents, teachers, school psychologists and other relevant parties to work
in tandem when developing IEPs, determining the proper LRE and discussing other
important considerations for each student.

The Assistive Technology Act

The Assistive Technology Act of 2004 set forth a core set of program services to increase
consistency across the country. As a result, at least 60 percent of the funds each state’s assistive
technology program receives must support the following:
 State financing activities
 Device reutilization programs
 Device loan programs
 Device demonstration programs
The Handicapped Children’s Protection Act
The Handicapped Children's Protection Act (HCPA) of 1986 was established to enact provisions
not covered by the EHA. The EHA required all public schools receiving financial support from
the federal government to provide special needs students with nondiscriminatory access to all
educational programs. For instance, the EHA is silent on the legal expense reimbursement
options open to parents who win litigation alleging EHA violations.
The HCPA amended the EHA to authorize the award of reasonable attorneys’ fees, expenses and
costs to the parents or guardian of a handicapped child or youth who is the prevailing party in a
civil suit to protect the child’s right to FAPE.
No Child Left Behind Act
The Elementary and Secondary Education Act, also referred to as the No Child Left Behind Act,
mandated that schools be held responsible for the academic success of all kids, regardless of
whether they have disabilities, in 2001. Every state's schools are required by the legislation to
establish regular evaluations of pupils' academic abilities. The law requires each state to establish
its own standards for evaluation even while it does not require that these assessments adhere to a
federal norm. Schools are given incentives under No Child Left Behind to show improvement
with special needs pupils. Additionally, it enables students to look into alternate possibilities if
their academic, social, or emotional needs are not being met in the classroom.

References
“Timeline-History of Special Education in the Philippines - Timeline of Special Education in
The.” StuDocu,https://www.studocu.com/ph/document/western-mindanao-state-university/
foundations-of-special-and-inclusive-education/timeline-history-of-special-education-in-the-
philippines/21750313.

“Historical Milestones of SPED in the Philippines.” Prezi.Com,

prezi.com/xdlk_md_mob3/historical-milestones-of-sped-in-the-philippines. Accessed 15 Sept.
2022.

“Legal Bases of Special Education in the Philippines.” Prezi.Com,

prezi.com/niwekluu_ptn/legal-bases-of-special-education-in-the-philippines. Accessed 15 Sept.
2022.
“4 Laws That Shaped Special Education in the U.S.” Www.Umassglobal.Edu,
www.umassglobal.edu/news-and-events/blog/special-education-laws. Accessed 15 Sept. 2022.

“5 Important Special Education Laws.” Masters in Special Education Degree Program Guide |,
13 Dec. 2015, www.masters-in-special-education.com/lists/5-important-special-education-laws.

De Torres, M. S. (2008). One hundred years of special education in the Philippines, 1907-2007.
An unpublished Masteral thesis, College of Education, University of Education, Diliman,
Quezon City.

https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2022/03/16/2167714/philippines-guarantees-learners-
disabilities-free-basic-education